The Role of Cultural and Environmental Heritage in Post-disaster Contexts: Teachers and Students in Literacy | Chapter 3 | An Overview of Literature, Language and Education Research Vol. 6

Educating individuals about the historical, cultural, and environmental value of their community’s heritage helps them develop coping skills necessary for overcoming challenges and actively participating in post-disaster recovery. Catastrophic events are moments when individuals undergo significant life transitions that challenge their sense of identity and deeply engage them emotionally. This paper, based on a systematic literature review, explores the findings of an exploratory study conducted with teachers who experienced a catastrophic event (an earthquake) and examines the role of environmental and cultural heritage and education in the post-disaster recovery phase, particularly as resources for teaching and community reconstruction. The study involved 23 primary school teachers from Abruzzo, Italy, who lived through the earthquake. A qualitative methodology was employed, using semi-structured interviews to allow an in-depth exploration of the issues through open-ended questions and feedback. Following this, a quantitative survey was developed to further investigate the findings. The results highlight the key role of cultural heritage in helping people redefine their cultural, social, and perceptual environment, particularly the inhabited space, which is understood as a socially constructed territory. Cultural heritage emerges as a powerful tool that can reinforce coping mechanisms, aiding individuals in recovering from the traumatic event. Moreover, the study confirms that cultural heritage, in the post-disaster phase, is crucial for supporting teachers and students in rebuilding their personal, social, and cultural identity. It also identifies protective strategies that mitigate the existential disorientation often experienced after such crises. By fostering mutual understanding and helping individuals accept loss, cultural heritage transforms these experiences into valuable learning resources, ultimately facilitating community recovery. The subsequent application of quantitative tools—one of which has just been developed to reach a broader population of teachers who have either experienced or not experienced the earthquake—could help capture the nuances of the participants' lived experiences more fully.

 

 

Author (s) Details

Nuzzaci A
Department of Cognitive, Psychological, Pedagogical Sciences and Cultural Studies, University of Messina, Italy.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/aoller/v6/2858